July 2018
This extreme heat wave we are having is causing havoc for gardeners everywhere and for Paul and I It’s become a full time job just keeping Loftus alive.
Plants love sunshine but keeping them hydrated is the problem. We are watering on a rotation system to try and give the new planting a good soak at least once a week but trees and hedges that went in a few years back are also beginning to suffer. In normal circumstances this wouldn’t happen but this weather is extreme and everything is crying out for a drink.
You can help your gardens by watering in the evenings when you will avoid scorch and evaporation. All planting including established hedges, trees and grass will be very thankful for a helping hand during this hot weather so if you could give your garden a good soak at least once a week it could mean the difference between life or death for some plants.
Lawns in particular are struggling but it’s not impossible to have a lush green lawn despite this crazy weather, but you will have to work at it. Plenty of water, a dose of summer lawn feed and an application of lawn weed killer can transform a neglected lawn quite quickly but in some cases you may be too late and patches may be totally dead. If this is the case, reseed the dead patches in the autumn, feed the grass with autumn feed and remember what to do for next year.
The only thing that seems to love these conditions are weeds as they just keep popping up all over the place and should be tackled when young before they flower and set seed. They will not only pull out easier when small but if left will just multiply and cause a bigger problem not just for you but your neighbours too. If you want to spray them instead of hand weeding there are numerous weed killers in the garden centre. A glyphosate based weed killer is best as it works slowly and kills the plant from the root but be careful not to over spray as it kills indiscriminately. It is a good choice as, unlike some weed killers, it is harmless to pets and children when dry. Other weed killers have specific uses such as ones that get rid of weeds in a lawn but does not harm the grass and others that kill everything for 6 months which is useful on a drive. They are all sold in handy ready to use spray bottles.
Some of you sun worshipers will probably be loving this holiday abroad weather but I am desperately praying for a return to typical British raining summer.